Jessica Rosenthal

Mr. Schumacher
Online Walking and Jogging

VO2 MAX
VO2 determines a persons ability to exercise and maintain aerobic endurance. It is considered
one of the best indicators of a persons fitness level. The basic idea of this is that the more oxygen the
body can use, the more ATP (energy) it can create. For this reason, professional athletes tend to have a
very high VO2 level. With a higher VO2 level evolves a better endurance and performance.

Measuring VO2 requires a sports lab and a participant who is willing to exert maximum effort
while running or biking. The participant will run on the treadmill and breathe into a tube that measures
the amount of O2 and CO2 that is exhaled. Over time, the belt speed of the treadmill will increase until
the person can run no longer and is exhausted. The breathing tube is connected to a machine which
documents the data on a graph. On the graph, both the x and y axis will increase.
To measure VO2 in the field there are multiple tests; the Balke 15 Minute Run, the Cooper 12
Minute Run, the Multi-Stage Shuttle Run and the Rockport Test. The objective of these tests is to
estimate the runners max VO2. These tests are usually conducted on a track where the distance ran can
be easily monitored. Depending on the test, the runner is given a certain amount of time to run as much
distance as possible, and then the results are plugged into a designated equation and yield estimated
results. Experts believe that this should only be used as a very general estimate. The field tests are also
considered harder for the runner because there is no treadmill belt below them so they may not keep a
constant speed like they would on a treadmill that moves at the same pace until increased.
Knowing your VO2 max allows a runner to understand how well their body is utilizing oxygen
during an endurance exercise at the cellular level. VO2 is a function of the pulmonary and cardiovascular
systems, so if a runner knows where they stand, they can increase their VO2 max with continuous
exercise and avoiding pollutants and smoking.